In the printing industry and, in particular, in electrophotographic printing machines, it is known to provide a printing nip by biasing a pressure roller in the direction of an image carrier roller as the counter roller. Usually, the transfer of an electrophotographically generated toner image from the image carrier roller to the printing material takes place in the printing nip. Multi-color printing machines frequently comprise several printing units, each with their own printing nips, so that a plurality of oppositely arranged pairs of pressure rollers and counter rollers is provided. Usually, the pressure rollers and the counter rollers can be moved into a position of contact with each other and away from each other into a separated position. In particular when the image carrier rollers is elastic, it is necessary to lift the pressure rollers off the image carrier roller when the printing machine is at rest in order to prevent an indentation of the image carrier roller. Furthermore, in the separated position, it is possible to pull printing material sheets, or other materials or substrates that are to be printed, out of the printing nip in order to eliminate material jams when malfunctions occur. Optionally, it would also be possible to adjust the contact pressure in the printing nip by means of the above movement. Therefore, in order to perform the required movement of the pressure rollers, known printing machines comprise individual actuation devices for the respective pressure rollers. However, the use of individual actuation devices can result in space problems within the printing machine and, in addition, be cost-intensive. In addition, the synchronous control of said devices is expensive and complex. Therefore, the problem may arise that the contact pressure between the pressure roller and the counter roller is different for the different successively arranged printing nips in a printing machine, which has a disadvantageous effect on the printing process.